Reddit mentions of American Classic Gelous Nail Gel Base Coat Nail Polish

I always feel really polished if my nails are done. I don't have the time or the money to go to a salon to have them done, or to constantly do touch ups, so this is my routine, that I will do Sunday night, and it lasts me with no chips through Friday for sure:

1. Remove polish and wipe down nails with rubbing alcohol (the alcohol can be skipped, but allegedly helps prime your nails).
   
2. Apply a base coat of this Gelous gel base polish. (You might find this cheaper at Sally Beauty.)
   
3. Apply 1 coat of color - any brand.
   
4. Apply a second coat of Gelous.
   
5. Apply a second coat of color.
   
6. Apply a 3rd coat of Gelous.
   
7. Apply this fast drying top coat from Seche Vite.
   
   I occasionally skip the second coat of Gelous and it still seems to turn out fine. The seche vite top coat is honestly super fast drying and it leaves the most amazing shine on my nails, which just puts them over the top. People always comment on how great my nails look.
   
   One last tip for helping your manicure last: wear gloves when washing dishes or handling cleaners. This really helps my nails not chip!
   
   Other things that make me feel put together: a pair of stud earrings, a blazer, COFFEE.

Generally speaking, the key to a long-lasting mani is a great basecoat/topcoat! If you have a Sally's Beauty Supply available to you or can get it online, I'd check out American Classics Gelous. I've tried a lot of different base/top coat combos, and using Gelous for both has become HG for me. I can get a regular mani to last 5-7 days with no-minimal chips.

I've also tried using the ~at home~ gel manicure with Gelous, in which you use it as a base, then put on your polish, add another layer of Gelous, then polish, then Gelous again on top. That shit legit lasted like 2 weeks with barely any chips. I change my polish too often to deal with that every time I do my nails, but this may be worth a shot if you're looking for longevity!

I’ve had good luck with Gelous. No UV lamp needed to get a gel-like, durable manicure. I know that everyone swears by base coats underneath, but I haven’t found them to be necessary with Gelous as a second step. It doesn’t have the glossiest finish, so I top it with Seche Vite. My routine is 2-3 coats of polish, one coat Gelous, one coat Seche Vite.

And make sure that you’re wrapping the tip of your nail - that is taking the polish over the edge and slightly underneath the free edge.

A lot of bloggers use Gelous between the glitter and the quick dry top coat to help keep things glassy smooth without a million coats. Here is a link to it on Amazon but it's way cheaper at Sally's. Don't get thrown by the label - it's technically a base coat but works well for smoothing out gritty polishes.

this is the only gel-like not uv top/base I know of. I haven't used it yet but it has great reviews.

[Gelous](American Classic Gelous Nail Gel Base Coat Nail Polish https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B8KWFJU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8vbxybA31VCXA) Nail Care Base Coat + Seche Vite top coat. Will look perfect for at least a week as long as you let polish dry after each coat. I use Essie polish almost exclusively.